Bilal

synopsis

Three-year-old Bilal lives with his parents, grandmother, and younger brother in a small dark room in Calcutta, India. The family is poor and both of Bilal’s parents are blind. He may only be a toddler, but this resourceful, playful little boy already knows a lot about life. He guides his father through busy traffic, directs his mother to what needs cleaning in the home, and teaches his one-and-a-half-year-old sibling how to get his parents’ attention. Instinctively aware of his parents’ disability, Bilal has developed a special way of communicating and interacting with them. He gives them a hug to let them know when he is happy, and when he is feeling mischievous, he knows that if he runs off out of the house, there is little his mother can do to get him back, other than shout and wait for the neighbours to catch him. Director Sourav Sarangi observed Bilal for a year, capturing moments of hardship, tenderness, and hope. His simple film offers us a child’s perspective on poverty, family, fun, and responsibility. It will, on many levels, make you question your way of seeing the world.

about the director

Sourav Sarangi was born in 1964, studied geology but later shifted his major to film editing at FTII, the famous film school in India. In recent years, he has been mostly involved in international co-productions. The few documentaries and fiction films Sourav made have won him worldwide awards. He has also extensively worked in private-sector television channels in India as the programming director.